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Famous People

In this section, we shed light on some of the most famous and infamous people known throughout history, from powerful pharaohs, to emperors and empresses, acclaimed military leaders, or just regular civilians who’ve been thrown into the spotlight for great crimes or for heroic actions, leaving an indelible mark on the world.

Gone Without a Trace? Searching for the Tomb of the Famous Artist Diego Velazquez
13 November, 2016 - 21:45 Natalia Klimczak

Gone Without a Trace? Searching for the Tomb of the Famous Artist Diego Velazquez

Diego Velázquez was a standout artist amongst iconic Spanish painters and his artwork is famous around the world. As a painter in the court of King Phillip IV of Spain, Velázquez is best known for...
The Black Masses of La Voisin: How a Fortune Teller Became a Murderess in the French Royal Court
5 November, 2016 - 13:51 Natalia Klimczak

The Black Masses of La Voisin: How a Fortune Teller Became a Murderess in the French Royal Court

Catherine Monvoisin was a woman with a dark story. Her life influenced the world of the occult and the court of Louis XIV, a famous king whose golden palace brought him immortal fame and countless...
Illustration of Godfrey of Bouillon (central figure) from William of Tyre's Histoire d'Outremer, in the care of the British Museum.
3 November, 2016 - 02:54 dhwty

Godfrey of Bouillon: Leader in the First Crusades and Ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem

Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish nobleman best known for his role as one of the main leaders during the First Crusade. As a consequence of this successful military expedition to the Holy...
Pirate, Turncoat, Survivor: The Life and Times of Anthony Knivet, a Briton in 16th-Century Brazil
2 November, 2016 - 13:57 ancient-origins

Pirate, Turncoat, Survivor: The Life and Times of Anthony Knivet, a Briton in 16th-Century Brazil

On a dark night, late in 1592, a group of Englishmen was massacred on the island of São Sebastião, off the southeast coast of Brazil. Most had deserted the infamous English privateer Thomas Cavendish...
Scanning Mummies - What Has Modern Technology Revealed About the Family of Tutankhamun?
30 October, 2016 - 13:44 ancient-origins

Scanning Mummies - What Has Modern Technology Revealed About the Family of Tutankhamun?

Many researchers have studied the mummies of the New Kingdom period. A man from KV55, the Younger Lady, Hatshepsut, and others have all been scrutinized. However, most of the early tests didn't bring...
Rediscovering the Story of Egeria, a Remarkable 4th Century Female Pilgrim
30 October, 2016 - 02:45 Natalia Klimczak

Rediscovering the Story of Egeria, a Remarkable 4th Century Female Pilgrim

Egeria was a young woman who decided to make the trip of a lifetime and go to the Holy Land. But what inspired her to make that journey and walk half of the world all alone? She was born in beautiful...
Prince Marko and Musa the Outlaw, 1900 painting by Vladislav Titelbah, the Narodni muzej Museum in Kikinda, Serbia.
29 October, 2016 - 03:47 dhwty

Marko Mrnjavcevic: The Powerful Prince of Serbia

Marko Mrnjavcevic (referred to also as Prince Marko and King Marko) was a Serbian ruler who lived during the 14th century. Although Marko is said to have had the opportunity to inherit the throne of...
Illustration of a Witch.
22 October, 2016 - 21:48 Natalia Klimczak

Who Was the Mysterious Aradia - Italian Goddess or Wicked Witch?

The line between goddess and witch or witch and saint is very thin in ancient history. One example of this confusion is the legendary story of Aradia – a woman whose life has been explored in neo-...
Prince Akinidad of Kush and the One Eyed Kandake in the Meroite-Roman War
21 October, 2016 - 14:56 Clyde Winters

Prince Akinidad of Kush and the One Eyed Kandake in the Meroite-Roman War

Strabo in his Geography (17 1.54) talks about the “one eyed Kandake” who fought the Romans. Between 30 BC and 22 BC the Romans and Meroites were at war. Meroitic-Kush never became part of the Roman...
Members of the Habsburg family
9 October, 2016 - 00:41 Natalia Klimczak

Weird Ideas, Weird Behaviors: Bringing the Habsburg Family Skeletons Out of the Closet

The Habsburg family is one of the most important royal families in the history of Europe. This may be somewhat surprising, as many of the rulers from this family behaved strangely, had some weird...
The Untold Story of Walpurga Hausmannin: An Infamous German Witch
7 October, 2016 - 03:53 Natalia Klimczak

The Untold Story of Walpurga Hausmannin: An Infamous German Witch

The legend of Walpurga Hausmannin is one of the scariest witch stories in the world. It is told as a tale of one of the most horrible killers in German history. However, the story seems to be half-...
The Lasting Legacy of Wiseman Confucius
4 October, 2016 - 03:51 dhwty

The Lasting Legacy of Wiseman Confucius

Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher who lived 2,500 years ago. In his life, he was convinced that his teachings had not made any impact on Chinese society. However,...
Andreas Vesalius: The Medieval Physician Who Loved Dissecting Humans
3 October, 2016 - 00:54 dhwty

Andreas Vesalius: The Medieval Physician Who Loved Dissecting Humans

Andreas Vesalius was a physician and anatomist who lived during the 16th century AD. Up until this point of time, the standard authority on anatomy was the work of Galen, a 2nd / 3rd century Greek...
Apeiron, The Source of All Things and The Philosophies of Anaximenes
1 October, 2016 - 03:54 dhwty

Apeiron, The Source of All Things and The Philosophies of Anaximenes

Anaximenes was a Pre-Socratic philosopher who belonged to the Milesian school. According to tradition, Anaximenes was a student and associate of Anaximander of Miletus. Alternatively, Anaximenes is...
Saint, Witch or Both? The Strange Case of St Columba of Sens
29 September, 2016 - 14:50 Natalia Klimczak

Saint, Witch or Both? The Strange Case of St Columba of Sens

The cult of St Columba is connected to France, where she died. She was beheaded in Sens - the major center of her cult now. However, while French religious people pray to the historical figure as an...
William Flinders Petrie: A Forgotten Father of Scientific Archaeology
27 September, 2016 - 03:51 Natalia Klimczak

William Flinders Petrie: A Forgotten Father of Scientific Archaeology

He was an archaeological genius whose sixth sense allowed him to accomplish an impressive number of excavations. Moreover, he created a chronological system for artifacts. The list of his...
The Women Who Created a Legendary Pharaoh: The Hidden Advisers of Ramesses II
21 September, 2016 - 00:50 Natalia Klimczak

The Women Who Created a Legendary Pharaoh: The Hidden Advisers of Ramesses II

Ramesses II is considered one of the greatest pharaohs of Egypt. Regardless if this is an exaggerated statement or not, his reign had very distinct stages. With the disappearance of two of the most...
Ludwig II of Bavaria: Suicide or Murder? How Did the Swan King Meet His End?
6 September, 2016 - 14:50 Natalia Klimczak

Ludwig II of Bavaria: Suicide or Murder? How Did the Swan King Meet His End?

Ludwig II of Bavaria was the favorite cousin of the famous Empress Elizabeth ''Sisi'', the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph II. His name became immortal due to the impressive castles he built during his...
Page from the Codex Wallerstein "Mademoiselle Maupin de l'Opéra". Anonymous print, ca. 1700.
3 September, 2016 - 03:50 Riley Winters

Mademoiselle Maupin: A Damsel Who Was Never in Distress

Swords, brawls, and clandestine love affairs are often the stuff of fairy tales and adventure stories. But in the case of Julie d'Aubigny of Paris, this was all part of her everyday life. Also known...
Passing Through the Gates of Time: The Mind, Time Travel, and St Augustine
31 August, 2016 - 21:55 Natalia Klimczak

Passing Through the Gates of Time: The Mind, Time Travel, and St Augustine

The topic of time has always fascinated people. It also seems that since the beginning, people wanted to travel in time. Sometimes, analyses related to questions like what is time and if it is...
'Esther and Mordechai writing letters to the Jews’ (1675) by Aert de Gelder.
29 August, 2016 - 03:53 Natalia Klimczak

The Remarkable Story of Esther: A Brave Queen and Champion for the Jews

The story of Esther is one of the most important for the Jewish faith, and it is also one of the most inspirational in the entire Bible. She was an independent woman in the court of a Persian king...
A stone statue of Hatshepsut and Egyptian soldiers from Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt as depicted from her temple at Deir el-Bahri.
18 August, 2016 - 21:42 Natalia Klimczak

Out for War or A Shopping Trip? Why Hatshepsut Traveled to the Kingdom of Punt

The walls of the great temple in Karnak depicted the story of an expedition of impressive ships to the mysterious land known as Punt. The fleet of Queen Hatshepsut traveled there for unknown reasons...
Main: Battle of a French ship of the line and two galleys of the Barbary/Ottoman corsairs. Inset: An Ottoman pirate.
9 August, 2016 - 14:49 dhwty

Aruj Barbarossa: Most Notorious Pirate of the Barbary Corsairs

Aruj Barbarossa, known also in Turkish as Oruc Reis, is one of the most notorious pirates in history. He lived between the 15th and 16th centuries, and was one of the most well-known Barbary corsairs...
Guido of Arezzo.
9 August, 2016 - 03:40 dhwty

Musical Monk: Guido of Arezzo and His Impact on the History of Music

Guido of Arezzo was a monk who lived during the Middle Ages, and may be considered as one of the most influential figures in the history of modern music. During the Middle Ages, the monastery was one...

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